Family History of the Children of Louisa Agnes Walsh (nee Stevens)

Edward James Walsh

Edward Walsh was born on 07/03/1906. He married Ethel May O'Grady of Kunghur (in the Tweed valley) at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Murwillumbah, on 05/11/1932 (NSW marriage reg. 16091/1932).

Edward and Ethel lived in Railway Street, South Murwillumbah, during the 1930s (the house number is not known). Edward was then working as a labourer. Around the early 1940s, they moved to Upper Burringbar, according to electoral rolls. Several tears later, they moved from there to Dungay, where Edward worked as a banana farmer.

Like his father, Edward Walsh was in trouble with the law on numerous occasions, particularly through the 1930s and 1940s. His offences included: offensive behaviour, giving wrong information to police, and using profane language. He was also put under a 12-month prohibition order in 1947 by the local court.

Edward and Ethel Walsh had six children (four boys and two girls):

• (Francis) John, born 11/07/1933
• Edward James (Jimmy) Jnr
• Kevin Brian, born 06/06/1936
• Patricia Merle, born c.1942
• Douglas Ross
• Kay

It appears that the Edward and Ethel moved to 4 Old Ferry Road, Murwillumbah, in the mid-1950s, while retaining the banana-growing farm at Dungay: in the electoral rolls from 1958 through 1964, Edward is a banana grower at Dungay, while Ethel is a kitchen maid and living at 4 Old Ferry Road. However, an article from July 1954 indicates that Edward was then working with the Tweed Shire Council, so their exact situation is unclear.

Electoral rolls further tell us that Ethel moved to 6 Boomerang Street, Kingscliff, around 1972. This property was bought that year by her sons Kevin and Douglas. She remained there until at least 1988. Edward is not found on electoral rolls after 1963, but we think that he probably remained with Ethel until his death.

Edward James Walsh died on 18/03/1974. He was buried in the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. Ethel lived on for many more years. She died on 12/12/1992. She was buried alongside Edward. Their shared tombstone is shown opposite.

Francis Allan Walsh Jnr

Francis Allan Walsh Jnr was born on 12/10/1907. He married Mary Agnes Seaton of Brisbane at the Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Annerley, Qld, on 09/09/1933.

Before his marriage, Francis Jnr was living in Railway Street, South Murwillumbah, and working as a labourer. After marriage, he and Mary moved to 2 Holland Street, a nearby residence also in South Murwillumbah. Electoral rolls also suggest that they lived at 62 Wardrop Street, South Murwillumbah, during this period.

Around 1942, Francis Jnr and Mary moved to Boyd's Bay, near Tweed Heads. There, Francis was working as a miner according to electoral rolls, but an article from January 1942 says that he had a banana plantation at Uki, which he was then working.

In November 1945, Francis Jnr purchased the property at 58 Charles Street, Tweed Heads. Though electoral rolls continue showing the address "Boyd's Bay" for Francis and Mary until 1959, we suspect they may have lived in Charles Street once they bought that lot.

Electoral rolls also show that from 1960 on, Francis Jnr was working as a floor sander, although a local article suggests he was in this line of work years earlier.

For many years, Francis Jnr and Mary Walsh lived in their Charles Street home. Mary Walsh (nee Seaton) died on 10/05/1979. She was buried at Tweed Heads Lawn Cemetery.

In 1985, Francis Jnr sold his Charles Street house and moved back closer to Murwillumbah, in Eviron Road, Condong. His brother and sister-in-law Peter John and Marie Gladys Walsh were living in Eviron Road at that time, so perhaps Francis Jnr moved close to them or even into their home.

Francis Walsh Jnr died on 20/10/2004 at the age of 97 in Tweed Heads Hospital. He was buried alongside his wife Mary. Their tombstone is shown opposite.

Francis Jnr and Mary had seven children (four boys and two girls):

• Therese Marie, born July 1934
• Carmel
• Francis James
• Peter David John
• Margaret
• Veronica Catherine
• Anthony Michael Patrick

Sadly, Therese Marie Walsh died at just two weeks old on 20/07/1934.

Henry William Stephen Walsh

Henry Walsh was born on 21/09/1908. There is doubt over Henry's third given name. We give it here as "Stephen", but it is elsewhere sometimes given as "Steven" or "Stevens".

Henry married Kathleen Mary Higgins in Murwillumbah on 22/08/1931. Initially, Henry and Kathleen lived at 16 Railway Street. Around 1932, according to electoral rolls, Henry began working a banana plantation at Tomewin, a farming area about 10 kms north of Murwillumbah. It appears that they then moved, in the 1940s, to another banana plantation, this one in Dungay.

In 1948, Kathleen left Henry, permanently it seems, in an incident that went to court, because an alleged robbery was involved. They had a man called Cyril Dawson staying at their Dungay property, and he was alleged to have stolen money and goods from Henry. He also ran off with his wife, Kathleen. He was found guilty of part of that theft. A year later, Dawson and Kathleen, who still went by the surname Walsh, were living together in East Sydney. We do not know what became of Kathleen after that, but we do not think that she came back to Henry Walsh.

Once again single, Henry Walsh continued to live at his banana plantation in Dungay until around 1960, when he turned his hand to carpentry and was living at the Terminus Hotel in South Murwillumbah. In the mid-1960s, he moved to 44 Tumbulgum Road, Murwillumbah. This was the home of his brother Ernest Patrick Walsh and his wife, Eva.

Henry Walsh died on 30/10/1970. He was buried at the Bray Park Cemetery. His tombstone is shown opposite. Henry's funeral notice indicates he was last living at 6 Peter Street, Murwillumbah, very close to his sister Mary Ann Graham at Number 10.

We think that Henry and Kathleen had five children (four boys and one girl):

• Kevin Desmond, born 14/02/1932
• Henry Dominic Paul, born c.1933
• Neville Ernest, born 1934
• Shirley Kathleen, born c.1936
• Raymond James, born c.1938

The eldest boy, Kevin Walsh, died after just 12 hours. He was buried in the Banner Street Cemetery. Neville Walsh also died very young, at the age of nine months, on 25/08/1935. Neville was reportedly buried in the Bray Park Cemetery. The second son, Henry Walsh, gave evidence, at the age of 15, in the abovementioned court case. The two surviving boys, Henry and Ray, each moved to the Central Queensland coast in their adult lives. Ray Walsh became a horse trainer of some note in Mackay. The one daughter, Shirley Walsh, married Rex Michael Stapleton in Murwillumbah in 1957 and subsequently moved to Sydney.

Catherine Mary Walsh

Catherine Walsh was born on 05/05/1910. She married George Frederick Pickard on 25/07/1932 in Murwillumbah.

According to electoral rolls, George Pickard was a farmer in the 1930s and he and Catherine were then living in Dulguigan, close to Murwillumbah.

George enlisted in the army for WWII in 1940, and we think it was around that time that he and Catherine moved from Dulguigan into the Murwillumbah township - to the Tara House boarding house in Broadway. Catherine's aunty Elizabeth Collier was running Tara House then.

Where exactly George and Catherine lived during the post-war period is unclear. It seems that Catherine lived at Tara House during the war years. Upon George's discharge in 1945, army forms indicate an address for them of 32 Railway Street, which is where Catherine's parents were then living. Electoral rolls during the 1950s say that Catherine was at Condong, while George was at Tara House.

George and Catherine bought a riverside property in September 1958 in South Murwillumbah, just on the Condong side of Condong Creek. The address at the time was 127 Pacific Highway but we believe it to now be 227 Tweed Valley Way. The title deed for the property indicates that George was a shire employee in 1958, presumably working for the Tweed Shire Council.

In 1963, George was granted a lease of an oyster farm on the Tweed River, which we think was about halfway between South Murwillumbah and Condong. He held this lease in partnership with a Raymond David Adams. It appears that their oyster lease ended at the end of 1966.

George Pickard died on 27/01/1978, aged 69. One day later, Catherine Pickard (nee Walsh) also died. We do not know the circumstances of their death and, in particular, why they died within a day of each other. Catherine and George were buried together at the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. Their tombstone is shown opposite. Their combined funeral notice appeared in the local Daily News. We think that Catherine and George never had any children.

James Alexander Walsh

James Alexander Walsh was born on 02/09/1911. James married Jessie Letitia Pickard on 21/12/1931 in Murwillumbah. Jessie was the younger sister of George Frederick Pickard, wife of Catherine Mary Walsh (who was James Alexander Walsh's sister). In other words, Walsh siblings married Pickard siblings.

James and Jessie, according to electoral rolls, lived at 16 Railway Street through the 1930s and early 1940s. In February 1942, James Walsh enlisted in the army for WWII. He was discharged in June 1944. Around that time, he and Jessie moved to Tygalgah. They lived there until at least 1988.

James Walsh became a renowned racehorse trainer in the Northern Rivers region from the 1940s on. He was based at the Murwillumbah racecourse at Tygalgah. An article from Tales of Yesteryear, by Peter Winter, details James's life, with a focus on his achievements in horse racing and also with show horses.

James Walsh died on 31/03/1992. He was buried at the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. Jessie Walsh died on 08/09/1999, and she was buried alongside James. Their tombstone is shown opposite.

James and Jessie had five children (two boys and three girls):

• Dorothy Merle, born c.1933
• Joy Maureen, born c.1934
• Mervyn James, born c.1936
• Susan Margaret
• Robert Alan, born c.1956

Bridget (Biddy) Walsh

Bridget Walsh was born on 13/01/1913. She married Richmond Ephraim Buttenshaw, a Tweed local, at St Thomas's Church in Narellan on 02/11/1935. A farewell to Bridget was held the previous week in Dungay, as her marriage meant that she was leaving the Tweed.

Richmond and Bridget initially lived together at 319 Church Street, Parramatta, with Richmond working as a shopkeeper. Richmond's mother, Selina Foreman Buttenshaw, lived with them there. Around 1940, they all moved to 3 Benaroon Road, Lakemba, where Richmond ran a greengrocer shop.

Richmond's mother died in February 1946, and soon after, Richmond and Bridget moved to Campbelltown, where they lived for about 15 years. Richmond bought and managed a furniture store at 219 Queen Street, Campbelltown. Their first residence in Campbelltown was at 59 Dumaresq Street. However, they soon purchased a new home at 53 Chamberlain Street. They lived there until selling it in 1957. Then, for a year or two, Richmond and Bridget lived in Hansens Road in nearby Minto.

Around 1959, the Buttenshaws left the Campbelltown area and moved back to Murwillumbah. They began running a convenience store at 417 Pacific Hwy (now the Tweed Valley Way). There is still a store in that location today.

Bridget Buttenshaw died on 28/05/1972. She was buried at the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. Richmond subsequently moved to a house in Charles Lane, East Murwillumbah, but moved again soon after, around 1975, to 28 Uki Road (now called Kyogle Road), Bray Park, close to Murwillumbah. He remained there until his death on 19/01/1985. He, too, was buried at the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. The tombstones of Bridget and Richmond are shown opposite. We also have a death notice for Richmond (source newspaper unknown).

We do not have full information on what children Bridget and Richmond Buttenshaw had, but we know of the following four children (two boys and two girls):

• Eric George, born 14/03/1942
• Arthur Francis
• Kathleen Vida
• Pamela Joan

Mary Ann Walsh

Mary Ann Walsh was born on 23/08/1914. Mary Ann married Clarence George Albert (Clarrie) Scott on 21/01/1933 in Murwillumbah.

Though Clarrie was, like Mary Ann, a Tweed local, they moved, around 1935, to Euramo, near Tully, in far north Queensland. There, Clarrie worked as a timber-worker, and then as a canecutter. Sadly, he was killed on 05/10/1937 in a road accident: he was riding his bicycle near his home and was hit by a car.

Mary Ann Scott (nee Walsh) was then widowed with two sons: Desmond Clarence Scott, born c.1933, and Barry Francis Scott, born c.1935. Mary Ann married John Strang Graham on 10/09/1938 at St Clare's Catholic Church, Tully. We have a copy of the marriage certificate.

By 1943, Mary Ann and John Graham had moved to 38 John Street, Lismore, with John working as a labourer. Around 1944, they moved to Murwillumbah and were living in Mary Ann's parents' house at 32 Railway Street. John was again working as a labourer, but was also appointed in June 1945 by the Murwillumbah Council as its impounding officer (for the impounding of stray livestock). He held this post for some years.

In 1949, John and Mary Ann purchased the 32 Railway Street house they were living in. This property had been in the deceased estate of Catherine Gill, and the vendors were Catherine's executors. The Grahams sold that property in November 1955, but had bought another house at 10 Peter Street, Murwillumbah, the previous year, and they moved there around this time.

John Strang Graham was electrocuted to death in a work accident on 16/07/1956. We have an obituary for John from Murwillumbah's Daily News. He was buried in the Murwillumbah General Cemetery on Byangum Road.

After John's death, Mary Ann Graham continued to live in her Peter Street home. She died on 22/03/1978 and was buried in the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. Her tombstone is shown opposite.

In addition to Mary Ann's two sons from her first marriage, she and John Graham had two more children together (one boy and one girl):

• Colleen Faye (or Fay), born 03/02/1940
• Robert John, born 23/05/1944

Opposite is a photo of Mary Ann with her daughter, Colleen.

Peter John Walsh

Peter Walsh was born on 24/10/1915. Peter joined the armed services to fight in WWII (Service No N441252).

Peter Walsh married Marie Gladys McLeod on 13/03/1946 at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Murwillumbah.

Peter and Marie lived on Eviron Road, Condong, after they married and they lived there for their whole lives together. They purchased the property in July 1950. The title deed indicates that it comprised two lots, 3 and 3A, either side of Eviron Road. The Walshes sold Lot 3A in February 1970, retaining Lot 3.

Peter died on 05/11/1990 and was buried in the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. Marie lived on for a further 22 years. She died on 25/10/2012 and was buried alongside Peter. Their shared tombstone is shown opposite.

Peter and Marie Walsh had four children (all girls):

• Faye Maria, born 17/03/1948
• Pamela Marjorie
• Robyn Noelle
• Roslyn Marie

Henrietta (Ettie) Magdalene Walsh

Henrietta Walsh was born on 06/01/1917. Henrietta married Clifton Liege Francis Leslight at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Murwillumbah on 22/02/1936.

Initially, Clifton and Henrietta lived in Dungay, where Clifton worked as a banana grower. Around 1945, they moved to Palm Vale Road, Palm Vale, where they were again engaged in farming. They lived out their lives in that home.

We are not sure where exactly in Palm Vale the Leslights lived. One title deed shows that in 1960 they bought a 208-acre property (Portion 193 of Cudgen parish) centred on the intersection of Reserve Creek Road and Round Mountain Road. Five years later, in 1965, another title deed shows that son Colin James Leslight bought the adjacent 203-acre adjacent property (Portion 192) on the western side. It would seem that these were their residences, though whether they lived there prior to 1960 (under lease perhaps) is not known.

From a young age, Clifton Leslight was heavily involved in riding, training, and breeding show horses. He is included in the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame. An article on Clifton includes a photo and lists some of his achievements.

Henrietta and Clifton had six children (four boys and two girls):

• Brian Francis, born 17/01/1937
• Colin James, born 15/02/1939
• Pamela Joan, born 15/08/1946
• Alan Ross
• John Clifton
• Joan Elizabeth

The first daughter, Pamela Joan Leslight, died at just 8 months of age, on 12/04/1947.

Henrietta Leslight (nee Walsh) died on 03/07/1989. She was buried in the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. Clifton died on 14/10/2001 and was buried alongside Henrietta. Their tombstone is shown opposite.

Robert Cregan Walsh

Robert Walsh was born on 10/11/1918. He married Bertha Mary Leslight at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Murwillumbah on 17/03/1944. Bertha was the younger sister of Clifton Leslight, husband of Robert Walsh's sister Henrietta. In other words, Walsh siblings married Leslight siblings.

When he married, Robert was in the army, enlisting on 13/01/1942 and being discharged on 13/11/1944. Before joining the army, Robert lived at Dungay and he worked as a banana grower.

In 1944, between the marriage and the discharge, Bertha, according to army documents, was living at 32 Railway Street with Robert's parents. But, by 1948, Robert and Bertha had moved to Condong Road (now part of the Tweed Valley Way) in South Murwillumbah. There, Robert was working as a labourer.

Robert Walsh died on 10/04/1954, aged just 35 years. He was buried at the Bray Park Cemetery. An article on Robert's funeral appeared in the Tweed and South Coast Daily, 13/04/1954, p. 2. His tombstone is shown opposite.

The next year, in October 1955, Bertha bought the property at 149 Tweed Valley Way, South Murwillumbah. In the 1950s, this property had address 59 Condong Road, and later 59 Pacific Highway. Records from 1954 show the address of Robert and Bertha to have been 78 Condong Road. We think this was a different house, and that Bertha moved from there to the home she purchased in 1955.

Bertha Walsh lived on for many years as a widow in that house. She died on 23/01/1982. We have Bertha's death certificate. Bertha Walsh (nee Leslight) was buried next to Robert in the Bray Park Cemetery. We have a photo of her tombstone. We think that Robert and Bertha Walsh had no children.

Ernest Patrick (Pat) Walsh

Pat Walsh was born on 21/05/1920. He enlisted in the army on 02/07/1940 and was discharged on 06/12/1945. His enlistment photo is shown opposite.

Pat Walsh married (Eva) Jean McLennan in Murwillumbah on 22/06/1946. Until the early 1960s, it is not clear where Pat and Jean lived. Electoral rolls before that time show Pat living in 32 Railway Street (working as a labourer) but Jean living in 44 Tumbulgum Road, Murwillumbah. From 1959 onwards the rolls show them both at 44 Tumbulgum Road, with Pat working as a lineman with the P.M.G (Postmaster General).

Pat Walsh died on 20/06/1995. He was buried at the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. His tombstone is shown opposite; he was buried beside his brother John Noel Walsh. Jean Walsh continued living at 44 Tumbulgum Road until at least 2008. She died on 14/07/2013. Jean was buried at the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery.

Pat and Jean Walsh had five children (two boys and three girls):

• (Helen) Lesley
• Gail
• Gary Neil
• Wendy Lynn
• Terry Wayne, born 09/02/1957

Terry Wayne Walsh died on 28/06/1995, just eight days after his father. He, too, was buried at the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. Opposite is the shared tombstone of Jean and Terry Walsh.

John Noel Walsh

John Walsh was born on 19/12/1923. He enlisted in the army on 31/07/1942. He was discharged on 30/05/1946. The Tweed Daily, 09/01/1943, p.2, featured a photo of John.

John worked as a labourer before and after the war. When he enlisted, he was living at 16 Railway Street. After his discharge, he lived, according to electoral rolls, in Railway Street again, though we do not have a house number.

In 1963, John was living in the Terminus Hotel (roughly where the Riverview Hotel now stands). His brother Henry William Walsh was also living there at that time. From roughly 1964 to 1971, he was living at 3 Alma Street, South Murwillumbah. He subsequently moved once again, around 1971, to the home of his brother Ernest Patrick Walsh and his wife, Eva, at 44 Tumbulgum Road. He stayed there until 1984.

John Walsh died on 07/09/1984. He was buried at the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. His tombstone, shared with his brother Ernest Patrick Walsh, is shown above.

We think that John remained single through his life and had no children.